Starting means for vapor electric lamps.



No. 728,891". PATBNTBD MAY 26, 1903.

\ S. B. PLICHTNER & G. W. DENNY.

STARTING MEANS FOR VAPOR ELECTRIC LAMPS.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 23. 1902.

I0 MODEL.

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Patented May 26, 1903.

ATENT STANYVOOD E. FLIOHTNER, OF ENGLEWOOD, JERSEY, AND CHARLES W.DENNY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSI GNORS TO GEORGE WESTING- HOUSE, OFPITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

STARTING MEANS FOR VAPOR ELECTRIC LAMPS.

SPEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 7 28,891, dated May26, 1903.

Application filed August 23, 1902. Serial No. 120,756. (No model.)

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that we, STANWOOD E. FLIGHT- NER a. resident of Englewood,county of Bergen, State of New Jersey, and CHARLES W.

DENNY, a resident of New York, in the county and State of New York,citizens of the United States, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Starting Means for Vapor Electric Lamps, of which thefollowing is a no specification.

It is well known that the Hewitt gas or vapor electric lamp is generallyprovided with a starting-band of metallic foil or its equivalentarranged near the negative electrode and :5 that this band is joinedbyasuitable conductor with the lead-wire passing to the positiveelectrode. It is also known that one of these lamps is usually startedby the action of a reactive coil in series with the lamp, creating animpulse of higher potential in the lampoircuit whenever a shunt acrossthe circuit between the lamp and the reactance-coil is quickly ruptured,as by a snap-switch operating under oil.

Hitherto everylamp has been provided with a separate starting apparatusor else some sort of switching apparatus has been employed, wherebyasingle reactauce-coil could be made to operate successively upon severallamps. Prior to our invention it has not been possible to startsimultaneously two or more lamps arranged in series by means of a singlereactance device. we accomplish this result are illustrated in 5 theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figures 1 and 2 are diagramsillustrating our mode of starting two or more Hewitt lamps at the sametime and by means of a single reaotance device.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 1 and 2 represent two Hewitt lampsin series in Fig.

1, and 1, 2, 3, and 4represe11tfour such lamps in series in Fig. 2. Eachlamp is provided with a starting-band 5', arranged near the 5 negativeelectrode 6, and from each startingband runs a wire 7, which under theformer practice would in every instance run to the lead-wire passing tothe positive electrode 8 of its own lamp. As shown, however, we

connect all the starting-bands to the positive wire 9, leading to thefirst lamp in the series, and it is by virtue of this arrangement thatThe means by which we are able to secure with certainty the starting ofall the lamps in the series at once.

The negative circuit-wire is shown at 10,

the reactance device at 11, the shunt at 12,

The last-named piece of apparatus is usually adapted to break contactunder oil, as will be understood.

Now when the main circuit is closed, as by a hand-switch 14, the onlyoperation necessary to start the lamps is that of operating the switch13, so as to cause a sudden ruptureof the shunt-circuit, whereupon thecurrent which has been passing through the reactance device 11 by way ofthe shunt-circuit will create an impulse of higher potential, .whichwill find its way through the lamps and set them into operation.

It will be understood that the snap-switch 13 is normally open and thatwhen operated to start the lamps, as described above, it is first closedand then opened again, with the result set forth above.

We claim as our invention- 1. In a starting apparatus for gas or vaporelectric lamps, two or more lamps arranged in series, a starting-bandfor each lamp, arranged in proximity to the negative electrode thereof,and conductors connecting all the starting-bands to the positive main ata point in advance of where it enters the first lamp of the series.

2. The combination with two or more gas a starting-band for each lamplocated in proximity to the negative electrode thereof, a re- .actancedevice in series with the lamps, and a shunt across the circuit betweenthe reactance device and the series of lamps, and means for causing aquick rupture of the said shunt, the said starting-bands being allelectrically connected with the positive main at a point in advance ofwhere it enters the first lamp of the series.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,this 21st day of August, 1902.

STANWOOD E. FLICHTNER. CHARLES W. DENNY. Witnesses:

GEORGE H. STOOKBRIDGE, THOS. H. BROWN.

or vapor electric lamps arranged in series, of a and the snap orquick-break switch at 13. I

